The former Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Kadri Veseli, relating to the statements in today’s session in The Hague, requested that the process be fair, transparent, and in accordance with the Constitution of Kosovo.
“I will be brief and to the point. directly with you because it is in the public interest. The first issue has to do with the duration of this process, since the first day when we entered this room, the Prosecution has transparently requested 545 hours. From the first day, in fact, each of us knew that 545 hours with the process that we will develop in this room, 3 or 4 years would pass, even if neither the defense nor you as a jury would ask any questions at all. “, said Veseli.
“I don’t want to prejudge, but I want to say that: I believe it is in the interest of the public, not only ours, that someone should take responsibility for decision-making, that this process before the people of Kosovo is not only fair, not only transparent, only to respect the procedures and the Constitution of Kosovo, but also to preserve and guarantee a fair trial and in a reasonable time”.
He asked not to violate the trust of the citizens of Kosovo in international justice.
“I, as one of the accused, honorable, am afraid that if these principles are not respected, it has nothing to do with our individual fate, but with a message that we will send to the people of Kosovo who created it, with full awareness , but also with trust in this court, in you as our international partner, and the trust in the rule of law and international justice should not be violated in any way”, he said.
Veseli also commented on the fierce clashes that are appearing between the president of the trial body, Charles Smith, and the lawyer Ben Emmerson.
“There is another issue that concerns me as an accused and my lawyer: dear jury, I see a communication that is not normal and unprofessional. I am not prejudging, but as an accused, I have the right to send a message: I would not like things that are outside of my reality to be influenced and prejudiced, because there is a lack of restraint in the addresses of my lawyer”.
